One Short Day
by Yorkie Lover
Summary: Ned and Olive go to New York to see Wicked on Broadway. Slight slight Nolive.


**A/n: This is for everyone who originally watched Pushing Daisies because of Kristin Chenoweth. This is for everyone who fell in love with her from _Wicked. _This is for fellow Ozians and Nolive supporters alike.**

**Thank You: To Sparky Heffely, for basically having to re-beta this story because it didn't come through the first time. You're amazing.**

**Disclaimer: Wow, a two-fer-one! I don't own Wicked, I don't own Pushing Daisies. **

**One Short Day**

How had he gotten the tickets? It must have been a Godsend, Olive reflected. Not only were the tickets to one of her favorite musicals ever (up there with _Phantom _and _RENT_) but Chuck was not going.

Of course, Olive ignored the fact that Ned asked Chuck first. She had refused, kindly though, stating that musicals "aren't really my thing". She suggested that he take Olive, as she had noticed before that Olive was big into musicals.

Ned, the typical male, ignored her advice and invited Emerson instead. He responded, "If you think I'm goin' to some girly musical, then you ain't got no sense."

Olive had been the last resort. She said yes immediately and eagerly ran to pack, though they weren't to leave for another week.

Now, the week had passed. She and Ned were about to leave. New York was about three hours away. They would leave, arrive in New York, and do some sight-seeing before the musical started. Later, after the musical, Ned would drive home, arriving around three or four-ish in the morning. Olive was ecstatic. A whole day with Ned! And _he _was the one who suggested they go sight-seeing!

Though she didn't know it, Ned hadn't come up with the idea. Chuck had been behind it yet again. She knew that Olive wished that Ned and her could get closer. And, though Olive would never admit it, Chuck was fairly certain she was jealous of her relationship with Ned. So it would be good for Olive and Ned to spend a day together, and get to know each other. Chuck knew firsthand how hard it was to love someone who didn't love you back. She fervently hoped Olive would have a good time in New York; she was becoming quite fond of her, and almost even considered her a friend.

"Ooh, Chuck!" squealed Olive. "I do wish you could come!" Both knew this was untrue, but they ignored it.

Chuck smiled. "No, Olive. You love musicals. This is your chance to have fun and get out of the Piehole for a little while."

Ned walked into the room, dragging a suitcase behind him. "Olive," he panted. "We'll be gone for _one day._"

"Well, I had to pack tennis shoes and comfy clothes for walking around. Then nice clothes for _Wicked. _And both of these sets of clothes had to be good for warm weather and cold weather. And I have a change of jeans, shorts, capris, a t-shirt, a nice shirt, a dress, and nice pants, just in case."

_"In case of what_?!"

"I dunno. Just... in case." She caught Chuck's eye and sighed. "Men." Chuck grinned.

"Do you realize I'm only packing a set of nice clothes?"

"But I'm prepared, silly!"

Ned muttered something about "Obsessive over-packing disorder," but Olive ignored him. This was _Her Day!! _More than twelve hours of being alone with NED!! Amid a flurry of good-byes, they left.

* * *

Olive was annoyed. She had spent the last ten minutes flipping through every radio station... only to find nothing but commercials playing. Why would they ALL play commercials at the same time?! Was it a conspiracy to make her life miserable?! They were totally disrupting her plan for a romantic song to play and Ned to look over at her and realize he loved her...

"Olive! Would it hurt you to keep a radio station on for more than thirty seconds at a time?!"

"Sorry, Ned!" she replied in her somewhat Southern drawl. "It's just that I want to find a song that's perfect."

_Perfect for what? _he thought. Aloud, he said, "There is no perfect song! It's all commercials! Just _stop _being so ADHD!" Ned realized as soon as he said it how harsh that sounded.

Olive sighed sadly. Tears started to sting her eyes; she impatiently pushed them away. Ned would never, ever talk to Chuck like that in a million years. Just another reminder how Ned would never lover her.

"Look, Olive," he started, noticing her sudden sadness. "I'm somewhat stressed from this trip." She didn't respond. "And when I get stressed, I get moody."

Silence from Olive. Ned wondered if she would be this sulky all trip. Looking up with a small grin, she said, "Like you're PMS-ing?"

Ned turned beet red. It was going to be a long trip.

* * *

Four hours later, they arrived in New York. Though it had been difficult at times (Olive was constantly flipping through the radio stations to find a better song, even if her favorite song was playing), they were mostly cordial to each other.

They both gasped upon seeing New York for the first time. It was so... _big. _Their town was medium-sized; not too big, not too small. Everyone (mostly) knew everyone else. But here, in New York... you could lose someone and never see them again.

Ned found a parking garage that was pretty cheap that was just outside of city limits. They parked and bought a Metro Card for the subway. After about fifteen minutes spent solely at deciphering the map of the subway, Ned felt he knew enough to get them to Manhattan and do some sight-seeing.

And so, for the next couple of hours, Olive was as close to Ned as she would ever get. It was a slow process, but they bonded more and more at every sight.

Finally, it was time to see _Wicked_. Olive bounced up and down excitedly on her toes. The Gershwin was big; the walls were a map of Oz. Vendors were selling souvenir playbills and shirts.

Olive dragged Ned over to a vendor and bought the _Grimmerie _and an "Oz" charm. "Yay!" she squealed, quickly putting the charm on her necklace. "This is _so exciting!!"_

They left to get their seats, and soon the musical started. The beginning notes left a huge impression on Olive. She had read somewhere that the first couple of notes were from "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." But this overture, this music, seemed so... Dark. Morbid. You could listen to the soundtrack a thousand times and still be awed when you heard the music live. Nothing would ever compare. Nothing _could _compare.

Ned gasped when Glinda came on.

"Olive," he whispered. "She looks like _you._"

And she did. They both had the blonde hair. Both looked like they liked to laugh and have fun. Both could sing really well, though Ned didn't know that.

She looked at him funnily. "No, not really... I mean, we both have blonde hair, and we're both a bit... petite, but that's about all."

"I disagree. You two could be twins."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah, I-"

"_Shh!_" came the impatient whisper from one of their neighbors. Olive turned from Ned and lost herself in the musical.

Ned, however, what not quite as lucky. He kept glancing from Olive to Galinda (as she was now called) and back again. There was definitely a resemblance. They could be twins. Finally, he gave up contemplating their similarities and lost himself in the musical.

It was magical. He laughed during _Popular, _was awestruck by _Defying Gravity, _and secretly shed a few tears during the heart-wrenching _For Good. _When it was all over, he walked out of the theater in shock.

"That was... _amazing._" he said.

"Yeah," replied Olive quietly.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just..." She searched for the right words. "Glinda. She ended up all alone. I hope..." They turned a corner and quickened their pace. New York City was not the best place to be at night. "I could... I know how she feels," finished Olive in a small voice.

"What do you- Oh, here's our parking garage." They quickly got in the car, and Ned forgot all about the conversation they were just having.

Olive didn't. She was dozing off in the passenger seat when she heard Ned say, "_You _know how Glinda feels?"

She smiled to herself. "Yep," she murmured, falling asleep.

Ned looked at her. She was so innocent looking in her sleep, it made him gasp. Involuntarily, he reached out to stroke her hair, then jerked his hand back as he realized what he was doing. Yet it had been so long since he had touched anyone like that... Surely Chuck wouldn't know...

So he combed his fingers through her hair. It was soft, and Olive sighed. Right now, she was having the most amazing dream about Ned petting her head- never to realize that the dream was real.


End file.
